
BeGambleAware has initiated a new campaign to combat potential gambling harms from the upcoming World Cup.
The gambling harm awareness charity has recently greenlit a new initiative that aims to warn football fans of potential gambling harms that could arise from wagering on the upcoming World Cup’s matches. This is especially important, as metrics like the cost of living are skyrocketing around the world.
According to a study conducted by Opinium, over 60% of football fans in the United Kingdom think that there are too many gambling advertisements during major sports events such as the aforementioned World Cup. Nearly 30% of fans stated that they are somewhat concerned about the amount of money they may potentially spend on wagering, while over 55% said that it is quite easy to lose more than they had planned
BeGambleAware’s new initiative comes as a response to these statistics. The charity has partnered with the Football Supporters Association and a few celebrity football players to make their message heard, especially by those most at risk.
The campaign has already seen a short film launched featuring Peter Shilton, a popular former footballer who has experienced the negative side effects of gambling for over 4 and a half decades. In the video he delivers a short “team talk” on how anyone can easily get distracted with the practice and experience negative side effects.
Furthermore, the initiative is being actively supported by multiple media conglomerates such as Sky and ITV, who are helping spread the message of the campaign by donating over 1.5 million pounds worth of combined advertising space on their networks.